


three’s a crowd

by reginaswanmills



Series: little one, big world [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Non-Sexual Submission, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:56:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24446956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginaswanmills/pseuds/reginaswanmills
Summary: Robin Hood isn’t completely clueless. He is aware of the special relationship Regina shares with Emma, though he has no idea of the depths at which this runs.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood, Robin Hood & Emma Swan
Series: little one, big world [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765618
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	three’s a crowd

**Author's Note:**

> this could be read as a connected oneshot to this series, or a standalone. it is completely up to you, but it is part of the ‘little emma’ universe. 
> 
> in this shot, swan queen is not really seen as romantic. it is more seen as the caregiving trope. regina and robin are in an established relationship, shall we say about seven months in? roland is seven, and henry is fifteen. 
> 
> this is non-sexual submission. there will be no sexual content. this will include non-sexual intimacy, and some aspects of non-sexual ageplay. this shot does not include emma regressing completely.

It strikes him as odd at first. Two months into their relationship, Emma Swan comes around. 

He’d been made aware of a few of their previous fights, before Neverland and before Regina ever met him; but, as far as family goes, these two are the best pair of co-parents for Henry. As far as best friends went, Robin considers Emma to be Regina’s. If Regina was ever in a crisis, Emma would be the first person she’d call. He knew that. He accepted that. 

For the first two months, Emma stayed away. Regina insisted it wasn’t because of him, though, she did avoid him at all costs. He only caught glimpses of her for that honeymoon period — she would be walking out as he arrived, her red leather jacket would be strewn on the couch, she would be picking up Henry and waiting at the doorstep as he made his way back upstairs. 

For the first two months, he hardly saw her. Which is why, it was incredibly shocking when he was startled out of a peaceful slumber, to find Regina hurrying to throw on her robe, and to hear a pounding at the front door. 

He’d quickly thrown on his own shirt and sweatpants, running a hand through his mussed up hair, and following after her. He had never seen her move that quickly, power walking to the door as if it was the sheriff knocking. 

( Technically, it was. )

The big mansion door swung open to reveal Emma Swan, mystery woman to him. The Savior, soaked in rain, looking like a kicked puppy, arms stretching out for Regina. He had never seen anything quite like it. 

Of course, he believed all humans needed a break. Yet, from what everyone, including Regina, had told him about their savior, he didn’t predict this happening. He could’ve never foreseen Emma openly sobbing, reaching out for his beloved; and Regina taking her into her arms, using one hand to wave the door shut, and stroking through wet blonde locks. 

From then on, he knew their relationship was different. From then on, Emma Swan came around more. 

She ate dinner with them nearly four times a week, and the fifth was spent at Granny’s, all of them together, with Snow and David. She sometimes occupied the guest room or the couch, due to her parents incessant need to overly fuss about her newest sibling, and Regina had already explained to him about how that had hurt Emma. 

She stayed for Friday movie nights — which, according to Henry, she did before the Hood’s moved in, but had just started rejoining. He knew for a fact that she visited Regina for lunch in the office, and Regina swung by the loft and the station a fair amount of times. 

( Sometimes, on nights when Regina’s insomnia kicked in, he would awake to hear them talking on the phone; Regina, with her soothing voice, gently telling Emma that whatever she was freaking out about would be okay. 

He could never hear what Emma was saying, nor did he want to disrespect their privacy like that; but, he did know that the savior’s name was simply ‘Em’ with a heart emoji in Regina’s contacts. He knew that from the times Regina’s phone was laying around the house, and it would buzz with notifications, all from one Emma Swan. ) 

\+ 

At times, he thinks it might be better if Regina was cheating on him with Emma. 

( At least, then he would know what exactly he was dancing around, and neither would be so uncomfortable anytime the three hung out. )

Though, as it was, he had to settle for long nights of Regina talking Emma through different things, unknowing what was going on whenever Emma would show up crying at the doorstep and Regina would lead her by the hand to the kitchen for some privacy. 

( “Is she okay?” He musters up enough courage to ask, as the clock in the living room reached one thirty in the morning. They’re both exhausted, and Emma is sleeping soundly on the couch below, snores emitting from her open mouth, head carefully placed on the pillow. 

Regina’s eyes dart from her face to his. He can see what struggle she has with taking her eyes off of their savior, and he wants to know why. 

“She will be,” Regina answers, giving a weak smile, and Robin can only nod. ) 

+

He thinks the final straw comes when he returns around nine thirty at night, seven months into their blossoming love affair, after a long day of trekking through the forest with the Merry Men, ready to collapse beside his girlfriend — only to find that Emma Swan is curled up in his lover’s spot. 

Regina is, admittedly, wearing his night shirt, but is laying across his spot, reaching over into Emma’s space. Her right arm is hooked around Emma’s waist. Her left hand is drawing circles against the back of her neck, fingers running through her dead ends. She doesn’t pay him any mind at first, only focusing on Emma. 

His eyes nearly pop out of his head. Never had he been witness to such an intimate moment between the two. He feels as though he should leave them be; yet, he can’t stop himself from asking. 

“What is she doing here?” Not unkindly, only curious. Emma’s head tilts. She stirs in whatever halfway dreamy slumber she is in. Her green eyes pop open, and he is met with red eyes, obvious from crying, and puffy cheeks. 

Her whole body shifts. She wiggles around in Regina’s side of the bed, before turning to face him, front now pressed to Regina, who shifts a bit to accommodate. Her hand flies to Emma’s face now, brushing over her cheeks the way he’d seen her do after Henry had an emotional moment. 

“Robin.” If she is surprised to see him home this early, she doesn’t show it.

He’s considerate with his next words, given how Emma is curled in on Regina, looking as frightened as Roland after a nightmare. He runs a hand over his recently shaved face, sighing. “Regina.” He bends down to kiss her forehead, eyes softening when he meets Emma’s green ones. “Emma.” 

Emma doesn’t smile. She doesn’t make any move to untangle herself from Regina. 

It’s Regina who does the talking. “We’re not having a good night.” Her voice takes on a very different tone, one he doesn’t think he’d ever heard her use before. It was different from the one she’d used with Henry, with Roland, and even with himself. Her hand was continuing their circles over Emma’s back, nearly lulling the savior to sleep. 

“Okay.” He nods, because it’s the only thing he can do. He can’t very well kick Emma Swan from Regina’s bed, nor does he want to. 

( The trauma both had suffered and endured had been horrific to hear about. If this is what helped both parties, he would not judge. ) 

+

“What is going on with Emma?” He pops the question after Emma goes home, while Regina is cleaning up their breakfast dishes. 

Her eyes go wide, almost scandalized. She pauses, head turning toward him. “Excuse me?” 

“Emma.” He sighs. This is not a conversation he ever intended to have. He wished he didn’t know about it. He wished he could ignore it; but, it’s staring him right in the face every time Emma comes around. “I’m not blind, Regina.” She bristles at that, and he changes his tone to a much softer one. “I’m not mad. I just want to know the truth.”

It’s not hard to miss her rigid posture. She’s stiff and tense, and he’s almost regretting bringing it up in the first place. It takes a few long moments for her to answer. She looks like a deer caught in the headlights, as if she was caught doing something she shouldn’t be. 

“It’s not something I should tell.” 

His brow furrows at that. “What?” 

“Emma is. . .” She trails off, trying to find the right words. “Emma hasn’t completely worked through all of her issues.” He didn’t expect her to. The foster system, combined with all that had happened, was hard to process — not to mention, finding her son and birth parents. 

“Is she still going to see Archie?” 

He gets a slow nod, but she still looks hesitant. “She hasn’t been in a good place. At least, not when she’s alone.” He understands that. He understands the facade they put on for the children, the savior act for her parents and friends. 

“And. . . You’re helping her with that?” It’s the best he can do. Regina clearly isn’t ready to talk about it. He’s not going to force it out of her. 

All he receives is a nod. 

\+ 

Henry takes Roland on the camping trip with David. Robin politely declines, hoping to have a quiet night in with Regina; though, he’s not entirely disappointed when she invites Emma over for dinner. He has decided to simply sit back and observe, until Regina is ready to discuss it further. 

She tells him Emma will be all alone in the loft with just baby Neal and Snow, and he is starting to get the drift of why Emma is so uncomfortable around her new brother. 

“This is good.” Emma twirls spaghetti around her fork, barely even glancing up at them. She’s barely taken three bites. 

He can feel how awkward and uncomfortable she is. He’s trying his best; though, they’ve never really had a conversation, and it’s clear that she is a bit embarrassed from the other night. 

“You’ve hardly touched it,” Regina’s tone is a bit scolding, as if she were talking to Henry or Roland. “Take a few more bites.” 

Finally, green eyes dart up to meet Regina’s. Robin tries not to stare, but he is utterly shocked when two hands reach for the same wine glass. Emma, to distract herself from following Regina’s order. Regina, to take it away. 

Regina wins. She always does. She pulls it back, out of Emma’s reach, and toward her own plate. Emma doesn’t struggle. She sits back in her seat, a slight frown on her face. That’s when Robin averts his eyes back down to his own plate. He can’t see, but he knows they’re in a standoff, one like Henry and Regina’s arguments on whether he could have a later curfew. 

He can only imagine Regina’s pursed lips, daring Emma to test her. He doesn’t see the defiance in Emma’s eyes, but the air is tense, until there is scraping of a fork again; and he looks up just in time to see Emma shoveling another bite into her mouth. 

+

There’s furious knocking at the door. Regina is at work. The boys are at school. He’s getting ready to go hiking with the Merry Men. But it’s restless rapping, and he can tell it’s urgent. 

“Emma.” She looks lost. Scared. Confused. Her eyes are red. Her cheeks are puffy. She’s not bursting into tears right yet, but she’s staring at him with desperate confusion. 

“R’gina?” Her words are slurred, but she’s not drunk. He knows she’s not drunk. 

“She’s at work.” He steps aside, motioning her in. She doesn’t move an inch. “Would you like me to call her?” 

Emma seems to be thinking it over. She sniffles twice, shaking her head. Her hand comes up to rub at her nose, tinged pink. 

He motions her in again. “Is everything alright?” 

She waits a long moment. Eyes stare at him, numb and emotionless, and he really wants to call Regina. Instead, he holds the door open, and is grateful that she walks through. He can’t let her walk around Storybrooke alone, knowing she is upset. 

He follows her to the couch, watching as she curls up against one end. She’s more comfortable now; though, it doesn’t quite seem like she’s in the right headspace. She’s probably not thinking clearly — otherwise, she wouldn’t be making herself at home in his presence. She’s still very cautious around him. 

“Can I get you anything?” When he looks down, her head is on a pillow, tears leaking out slowly. 

“R’gina!” She is definitely not in the right headspace. Should he call Regina? Should he call Snow? 

He makes the split second decision. He makes the right decision. 

+

Regina rushes in, concern evident, and barely even acknowledges him. He would be a tad bit upset, if Emma was not quietly sobbing into the pillow. 

“Emma?” She crouches right by the crumpled up body. One hand goes to Emma’s face, the other to her back. “Talk to me, baby.” 

Baby. That was new. 

Emma’s words come out jumbled and whiny. She sounds the way Roland does mid-tantrum, whenever Regina tries to get him to explain what has made him upset. 

“Snow. . . Neal. . . First!” 

Regina’s features are the softest they’d ever been. “Okay.” She runs a hand over blonde hair. “Okay, Little One.” She sends a quick glance back at Robin. “Mama’s here.” 

Little One. Mama. 

Baby. Little One. Mama. 

All things a child would use. 

He is freaking out. Regina just referred to herself as Mama, to Emma? 

Emma responds to it pretty well. She leans toward Regina, letting her soothe her cries with soft whispers and gentle touches.

Neither seem the slightest bit alarmed by this. Robin thinks they should be, until he remembers that this has clearly been going on for awhile, possibly even before he’d gotten involved with Regina. The words and touches come naturally. Emma leans into Regina’s touch, familiar and comforting. They’ve done this dance before. 

+

He thinks he understands it now, as best as he possibly can. He understands that Emma’s parents were not the ones who could take care of her, or understand her the way Regina could. He understands their bond is stronger than anyone in Storybrooke originally thought, and that they’d like to keep this a bit of a secret. 

He shocks himself, and Regina, and Emma, by how well he grasps the idea. If he had a negative opinion, he is sure it wouldn’t have affected anything anyway, because there’s no way Regina would abandon Emma, not when it’s so clear that Emma needs her. 

So, Emma coming to the house more often is normal now. She and Regina laying on the couch, or in the bed, when neither of the children are home, is not uncommon anymore. He doesn’t participate, doesn’t offer that kind of comfort to Emma; but he is there, for her to talk to, or to call Regina when things become too much for Emma. 

He is not completely clueless anymore. He understands the very special and intimate relationship Regina has with Emma Swan.

**Author's Note:**

> if there is a specific prompt you’d like in this verse, feel free to leave a comment! i have a few shots of little emma with just regina, them with maleficent, and a few more with robin.


End file.
